Stitch-finishing machine.



No. 667,086. Patented Ian.'29, l90l.

I J. B. HADAWAY.

(No Model.)

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20 May, 1896.

NrrE STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN B. HADAWAY, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STITCH-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,086, dated January29, 1901.

Application filed January 5, 1900. Serial No. 419. N modem To all whom,it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. HADAWAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStitch-Finishing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and I 5 forautomatically locating the stitch-finishin g tool with relation to thestitches of the seam to be acted on, such a machine being shown inReissue Letters Patent of the United States No. 11,538, granted to me onthe 12th day of The machine of this patent is a stitch-separatingmachine and embodies a tool for marking or creasing the work in linewith the intervals between the stitches. In this machine and in allsubsequent machines wherein the stitch-separating tool is automaticallylocated with relation to the stitches such locating of the tool iscontrolled by the intervals between the stitches, the tool being lightlymoved over the line of stitches until the working end thereof finds aspace between the stitches, at which time its lateral movement isarrested, and while its working end still remains in the space orinterval between two adjacent stitches said tool is forced downward toform a crease or indentation between the stitches, thus, as it is calledin the art, separating the stitches. The machine of the patent has beenfound to be generally satisfactory in its operation, and constant usehas demonstrated that the working end thereof will automatically findand locate itself in the intervals between the stitches, whether suchstitches be of uniform length or, as it often happens, slightly varyingin length, and the 5 piece of work after having been subjected to theoperation of said machine will have the intervals between the stitchesmarked and creased and the stitches separated. The tool of this machine,however, acted only upon the spaces or intervals between the stitchesand the surface of the work in line with such intervals.

The object of the present invention is to produce a stitch shaping andfinishing machine for shaping the crowns of stitches and marking orindenting the surface of the work in line with the intervals between thestitches and wherein the automatic locating of the working end of thestitch shaping and indenting toolis dependent upon and controlled by thecrowns of the stitches and not by the intervals or spaces between thestitches.

To the above end the present invention consists of a machine providedwith astitch shaping and indenting tool, combined with means forautomatically locating the working end of said tool on the crowns of thestitches,whether such stitches be of uniform or varying length.

The present invention further consists of the devices and combinationsof devices which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Ihave shown it as being embodied in the machine disclosed in the patenthereinbefore mentioned, and in which- Figure 1 shows in front elevationportions of said machine with my improved stitchshaping and indentingtool embodied therein. Fig. 2 shows asection of the machine as shown inFig. 1, taken on the linewwin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a broken frontelevation of myimproved stitch shaping and indenting tool somewhatenlarged. Fig. 4 shows in side elevation the lower part of said tool.

Similar reference characters will be used to designate correspondingparts throughout the specification and drawings.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a lever fulcrumed at 2 on the slide 3,arranged to reciprocate in a guideway 4:. The tool-stock 5 is pivoted at6 to the front of the lever 1. A lever 7, fulcrumed at 8, engages at itsforward end a projection 9 on the lever 1 for the purpose of positivelydepressing the lever 1 to impart to the stitch shaping and indentingtool a downward movement to cause the grooved working end thereof toengage the line of stitches to successively shape the crowns thereof andindent the intervals between the stitches. A spring 10 is connected bymeans of an adjusting-screw 11 to the lever 1 and acts to yieldinglydepress the lever 1 and the tool-stock 5, pivoted thereon, so as tocause the grooved end of the stitch shaping and indenting tool to restlightly upon the stitches of the seam during the lateral or locatingmovements of said tool, whereby the groove in its end will automaticallyengage the crowns of the stitches. 12 is a work-support and 13 is anedge-gage.

All of the foregoing parts except the tool are shown to be, andpreferably will be, construct ed, organized, and operated in amannersimilar to the corresponding parts of the machine of the patenthereinbefore referred to.

In the machine of the patent while the stitchseparating tool is heldyieldingly in contact with the line of stitches by means of the spring10 the slide 3 has imparted thereto several lateral reciprocations,causing the working end of the tool to move along over the stitchesuntil said end falls into the interval between two stitches, in whichinterval it will remain by reason of the fact that the tool-stock 5 ispivotally supported on its le- Ver 1, notwithstanding that the slide 3and lever 1 may not have completed their lateral reciprocations. Afterthe tool has been located in the interval between two stitches, as thusdescribed, the lever 7 is rocked about its fulcrum S, and, acting uponthe projection 9 of the lever 1, positively forces the lever 1 downward,causing the stitch-separatin g tool to form a mark or indentation in theintervals between the stitches, thus, as it is called in the art,separating the stitches.

Myimproved stitch shaping and indenting tool 14: is shown in enlargedviews in Figs. 3 and 4 and is, except as to its working end,substantially the same as the stitch-separating tool of the machine ofthe patent hereinbefore referred to, and is supported in the tool-stock5 and actuated substantially as is the tool in said machine. As shown inFigs. 3 and at, it will be noted that instead of providing the tool witha single V-shaped end designed to be automatically located in theintervals between the stitches and controlled in its locating movementsby such intervals 'and to mark, crease, or indent the intervals betweenthe stitches only I have provided my improved tool with a stitch-shapinggroove 15, which extends from the front to the back of the working endof said tool, and upon each side of the groove 15 I have provided ribsor blades 16, the groove 15 acting to engage successively the crowns ofthe stitches during the locating movements of said tool, and by thepositive downward thrust ofsaid tool the groove resting upon the crownof the stitch will shape the crown and impart thereto a roundedappearance, while the blades upon opposite sides of the groove will actto mark or indent the work.

It is to be noted that the working end of my improved stitch shaping andseparating tool is controlled as to its locating movements by the crownsof the stitches and not by the intervals between the stitches, and thatwhether the stitches be of uniform or varying length my improved tool byits engagement with the highest part or the rounded top or crown of thestitch will remain in contact with the crown of the stitch,notwithstanding that the lever 1 and the slide 3 may not have completedtheir lateral reciprocations, which give the locating movements to thetoo], for after the tool has engaged the crown of a stitch the furtherlateral reciprocations will cause the tool-stock to swing about itspivot.

In the present machine whetherthe stitches be of uniform orslightly-varying length is immaterial, for in any event the grooved endof the tool will impart a uniform shape and appearance to the crowns ofthe stitches, and the creasing or marking of the work is not in anysense dependent upon the distance between the intervals in the work.

In the operation of the machine the lever 1, carrying the tool-stock 5,is actuated in all respects substantially as the lever carrying theseparating-tool of the machine of the patent hereinbefore referred to,and when the piece of work to be operated upon is properly supportedupon the work-support 12 the lateral locating movements imparted to thetool 14: by the lateral reciprocations of the slide 3 will cause thegroove in said tool to engage the crown of a stitch, upon which it willbe lightly held by the spring 10, thus locating the working end withrelation to the crown of the stitch. After the tool has been thusantomatically located and while it is held lightly engaging the crown ofa stitch, as described, the lever 7 will be rocked about its fulcrum 8,and, engaging the lug 9 of the lever 1, it will impart to the tool-stock5 a further and positive downward movement, thus causing the groove 15of the working end of the tool to shape and form the crown of thestitch, while the blades 16 will mark and indent the work.

I am aware that it has been proposed to pro vide in sewing-machines foruse in the manufacture of harness and other heavy work a grooved toolfor the purpose of burying or depressing the crowns of the stitchesbelow the surface of the work; but in such prior machines the tool wasin no sense intended as a separating or shaping tool, nor was any meansprovided whereby the working end of said tool was automatically locatedwith relation to the stitches whether such stitches were of uniform orvarying lengths.

Having thus described the construction and mode of operation of myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States In a machine for shaping and indenting stitches, thecombination with a work-supec nos 8 In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. HADAWAY.

Witnesses:

T. HART ANDERSON, A. E. WHITE.

